Accidentally Homeschooling...

Post Testing Post...Just who or what are we testing?

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Every year for the past 6 years, my boys have taken the Stanford Achievement Tests. Normally, it takes 6-8 weeks to receive the results back. This long turn around time creates a host of problems. My motives for testing my children are many, but the most important motive is planning the future. Waiting until the end of June to choose the next year's curriculum doesn't give me enough time. I miss the convention season to buy in a hands on setting, I miss the used curriculum sale and I have less time to read and plan for the next year.

Another problem it creates is the timing of when I submit the tests to our local school system. They were not pleased getting them the last week in June or the first week of July. They have their vacations to condsider.

This year things changed. BJU implemented a policy of posting their test results online. We had the results in two weeks. Of course I'm thrilled, but the OCD nature in me was disappointed that I don't have the exact form we have received every year. I won't have the experience of holding the previous test results and this year's results up to the window to see the changes in the bar graphs. I will actually have to interpret the data.

Here's how I analyze the results: I compare the scores from each year and see if there was a subject that has has a radical movement in either direction. I decide after that based on what materials we were using where I should place the blame or the credit. If they improved significantly, I pat myself on the back and say well done. If they experience a drop, I blame the publisher, the child or the alignment of the stars. Just kidding, Terri G. has never believed in such nonsense. I do decide if a change needs to be made.

This year, I was holding my breath on Random. I, against all that I hold true in my homeschooling philosophies, did what I thought I would never do: I enrolled him in Monarch, which is computer based online. I was convinced that nothing would stick. I didn't believe him when he said the load was more than he expected. I excused it with my favorite line. What did you expect in high school? Most high schoolers have 3 hours of homework each night. I wasn't confident he would learn anything. I knew he needed something different.

I was wrong. He rocked in geography, his science scores were great and his math improved. I decided he will be doing more reading this summer. Ninth grade Monarch did not include enough good literature for my taste. Sadly, Random just isn't the kid who picks up classics for the fun of it. They must be assigned.

Paperboy, on the other hand, is caught red-handed reading much more. His scores reflect it. My goal of raising a reader has been met.

I remember my reactions to their test scores in the past.

How could you do so poorly in .................? I invested so many hours teaching this to you. I had recieved poor marks on my teaching. I took things personal. I decided there was a reason it was called Easy.........It was easy to forget.

I wondered how a 5th grader could score post high school on something one year and on grade level the next. I decided he must not have lined up his bubble sheets correctly.

I knew I could work really hard and help him bring up his spelling. It always went up, but just one grade level each year, just like him. When he shows up to wire a house, will they ask him how to spell superfluous? I think not, but he will know what it means thanks to his love for reading.

I reminded myself that successful test takers were not necessarily good students or citizens for that matter. I got over the homeschool mother test anxiety.

This morning, I was not surprised, but a little disappointed. Then I moved on with our day. When the Gman came home and we went over the tests, I saw them with new eyes. He was pleased. All is well. The principal has spoken.

Next year will have some changes: The One Year Adventure Novel will replace English on the computer. The boys will work together again on a few things. Paperboy will pick up a class online and his electrical work experience will increase. Random will have less time in front of the screen and more time with a pencil in his hand. It's been a great year. And now much to their dismay, they can start right away on the areas that weren't in the 90th percentile. Oh what a blessing it is to get the results so quickly.

How about you, do you suffer from homeschool mom test anxiety? Do you even test your children? I posted my dilemma this year in March about testing. I was on the fence,but I am glad we did.

My advice about the test anxiety spoken in a Boston accent.

Forgetaboutit!

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Wordless Wednesday: The Four Amigos Celebrating Eight Years!

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:39:00 +0000

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Amazing Science! Volume 1 DVD's, A Review

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:05:00 +0000

Homeschool Confession Time:

I am not always organized in the area of science. In fact, one of my children spent a month waiting for me to buy the ingredients for his science experiment. Because we do not belong to a co-op, science experiments have always fallen on me, so they don't always happen in a timely manner. Today's product is fantastic to ease the mother guilt of skipping the experiments. In the early years, a membership to the Boston Museum of Science, blocked out those guilty pangs. Now, I have the ability to expose my kids to 23 great experiments with a rocket scientist from NASA.

As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the products with my boys and share my honest opinions with you. I had the pleasure of Sharing Amazing Science with Little Guy and his friends.

Amazing Science! Volume 1

What is it?

Amazing Science is a video of 23 fascinating experiments performed by scientist Jason Gibson. These experiments use common household items and the students are taken step by step through each one.

What did we like about it?

Jason Gibson presents the experiment in a simple clear manner. There is nothing distracting, each experiment is in the same place with the same format.
He performs the experiment and then slowly reviews it while giving the scientific explanation for the reactions in basic terms. The material was above the 4 to 7 year olds, but they hung onto his every word.
I love his accent and gentle voice, I could listen all day to his lessons.
Little Guy could not get enough of this. He was thrilled when he realized there were two DVD's.
When we watched it with his friends, he kept saying "Watch this, it's so cool." I loved hearing his excitement for the science.
We can do the experiments if I choose or just watch the movie. I don't feel bad for forgetting the items at the store.
The price. For under $20, I can teach chemistry, physics, electricity and magnetism. For $17.99, you can download all of the experiments to your computer. If you are someone who likes having the DVD, it is currently on sale for $19.99 plus shipping.

As always, don't take my word for it, see what other crew members thought of this mom friendly product here.

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God's Great Covenant or I Changed My Mind! A review.

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Today's review is another product from Classical Academic Press. I have previously reviewed two other great homeschool resources from this company, The Art Of Argument and Latin Alive.

~Disclaimer~
I have always believed the Bible should be studied in the younger years as a family time with the Bible, prayer, and discussion. In our personal Bible time, my children listened, colored, discussed, memorized and studied the lives of missionaries. I am generally opposed to teaching Bible doctrine and history with a workbook until the older years. I entered into this review with a negative view of turning learning God's word into an academic subject.

With my personal convictions aside, I would like to share my unbiased opinions about God's Great Covenant with you.

Classical Academic Press is committed to teaching children the Bible. Below is their approach to teaching the Word of God to children.

Teaching the Bible to young children can be a large task, and is often divided up into many small stories. However, if you would like to teach your students the truly big picture of the Bible, and show them how God has been at work in his people since before creation, you will find God’s Great Covenant to be a unique, surprising, and excellent Bible curriculum. The Bible, taught chronologically, by means of simple and direct stories, chants, and meditation on God’s character define God’s Great Covenant. Even many adults find themselves learning new facts, making surprising connections, and being blessed by reminder of God’s faithfulness, and how he always keeps his promises. Taught from a covenantal and reformed theological perspective, and rooted in Scripture, you will find this series to be a blessing to your classroom or family.

God's Great Covenant, New Testament 1 is a Bible course for children in grades 2 through grade 6 covering the life of Christ. This biblically sound study is broken down into four themes and contains 36 lessons designed to last a whole school year. The New Testament is taught classically, using a variety of methods to solidify the student's understanding of the life of Christ. The student workbook is very appealing with larger print, various short exercises and great illustrations. The author introduces 'Simon', a Jewish boy from Jareth during the time of Christ. This story helps bring the students into the lives of those people who were anxiously waiting for the Messiah. This is what hooked Little Guy, he loves to hear about other children, fictional or real.

The student first reads the introductions and learns the memory work. The next day they read the story or better yet, they listen to the MP3 audio. Next, they complete the exercises in their own workbook. The activities vary greatly. There is map work, who said it?, key facts, think about it, important truths, story facts, crosswords, where did it happen? and other questions. I love the simplicity, yet the thoroughness of the study. The teacher's guide is so full of commentary and details, I am amazed at how much background, I don't know. You can see the index and a sample of the student book here and the teacher's guide here.

For the early grades, I would suggest doing most of the workbook orally, but from third grade on, this is an excellent program. I wish I had known about this program when Paperboy and Random were younger. It's structure reminds me of an excellent history program we used. But this is not just Bible events, there are personal challenges and application of God's Word throughout the lessons.

For someone who was opposed to Bible seatwork, I have definitely had a change of heart. God's Great Covenant is an appealing program that would work well in a home school or Sunday school setting. Once again Classical Academic Press lives up to their motto; Classical Subjects Creatively Taught. We're looking forward to other Bible courses such as God's Great Covenant, the Old Testament.

You can purchase God's Great Covenant Student Guide for $26.95, the Teacher's Guide for $29.95, and the MP3 download for $9.95 at Classical Academic Press. I recommend the bundle package for $56.95.
Of course, don't take my word for it, see more reviews at the crew blog.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.

Thanks for stopping by,

Write With World: A New Writing Program

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Before Dave Ramsey showed up in our household, I was a regular subscriber to many magazines. World was my all time favorite news magazine. It was the one that our whole family enjoyed. In fact, Little Guy is the only fortunate one to still get God's World, the kids version of it. Since I loved the content of their magazines, I had great expectations for their writing program. I was not disappointed, and neither was Paperboy. To him, it was a welcomed respite from another program that he had grown weary of.

Write With World has a vision for their writing curriculum. I am in complete agreement with this.

"Write With World aims to produce young writers who love writing, can write effectively, and intelligently share ideas, beliefs, and their worldview. We hope to support a generation of young believers who aspire to use their writing skills in the service of God's kingdom and explain effectively the reason for their beliefs."

Write With World is designed for middle school students. Paperboy, being in tenth grade, found this easy, interesting and is completing it at a much faster pace. Before you gasp in horror that he is using a program for younger students, don't worry, he is writing and enjoying the process. In addition to using this program, he is writing a story on his own, for the simple joy of writing. He has turned the corner from a reluctant writer, to a student who writes daily without being prodded. Mom is happy!

Write with World artfully draws the students in, assigns writing in small bites called capsules and prompts fantastic discussions about the writing process. I feel this curriculum would work wonderfully with boys who don't necessarily have a long attention span or a love for writing. This program will teach your children important critical thinking skills. Home school parents can feel confident teaching the mechanics of writing because of the thoroughness of the curriculum. As they challenge students to craft their writing, they cover fundamentals without drill.

Just what do you get with this writing program?

For $95 you receive a student workbook, and a teachers guide. You will need a notebook for the student's writing. You also will have access to a support forum, student samples. This is designed to be a one-year program, a second year is already available. You can order this great curriculum here.

If this program sounds like something that would work for your family, see the sample lesson. Or better yet, see what other crew members had to say about their experiences with the program. They have tried this with a variety of students ranging from 4th grade to high school level.

Thanks for stopping by,

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: A Funny Video

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:24:00 +0000

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Amazing Animals by Design: A review

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Amazing Animals by Design by Debra Haagen

Debra Haagen is a fellow homeschool blogger on the TOS review crew. I received a download version of this book to review that sells for $7.95. On April 1st it became available in hard copy for $8.95 from Tate Publishing.

I read Amazing Animals by Design to Little Guy as a bed time story. Because it was a downloadable book, I loaded onto my iPad. It had the special honor of being my first book read on my iPad. The only downfall on the iPad is I could only show one page at a time. On my laptop, I could share the pictures, while reading the words.

This book explains the concept of intelligent design to young children in a story format. I really wish I had this book when Random and Paperboy was younger. They were forever encountering early reader books that stressed evolution in the first few pages of their books. It distracted them from the content and credibility of the book.

Animals by design shares amazing facts about animals while telling the story of two friends visiting the zoo. With it's simple illustrations, this book is meant for pre-school through third grade. Little Guy was captivated by it. He enjoyed every little detail that proved the custom making of each animal it featured. We laughed at the tricky ostrich. I felt it was perfect for his age group. It would make a great birthday gift.

Debra Haagen has stepped into the area where there have been gaps in this genre of children's books. She can be followed on facebook, or her blog. As a Christian book hoarder, I'm looking forward to her next book.

See what other crew members had to say about Amazing Animals by Design here.
Thanks for stopping by,

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.

Thrifty Thursday: Working at Home and Jobs for Teenagers

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

In the spirit of thriftiness, today's post is partially recycled from the past and contains some up to date information.

I received an email from Rodney Bowen, who used to work for a blogger outreach program. He was gracious enough to include me in his review program. Working with Rodney was smooth, I reviewed great products and he was clear in his expectations. He has since then moved on to another adventure and shared with me his new web site. Now I don't know if he has made millions from working at home, but he has compiled some great information on his blog. Here's a little blip that I stole from his web site. I know he'll forgive me for stealing.

"Navigating the Web to find information you’re interested in can be overwhelming," comments Rodney Bowen, HomeGigz.com community manager. He continues, "Working to help my family and friends to find legitimate ways to work from your home, I created HomeGigz.com to post my findings with hopes that others may also discover a way to work from home that matches their interests, skills, and passion."

Now for my post from the past

Making money from home ads are everywhere. Who can you believe? How can you earn money while staying home with the kiddos? Here's a list of ways Terri G. has actually made money. I can honestly say I am not doing any of them now, but they have worked for me in the past.

I have raised chickens and sold eggs.
I went door to door in my neighborhood selling Avon, pushing my baby in a stroller.
I have decorated and sold wedding cakes, and lost my mind.
I have hosted home parties and sold Discovery Toys.
I have run a licensed daycare out of my home.
I have answered telephones for a landscaper, very short-lived.
I have set up appointments for Electrolux vacuums, another shot-lived job.
I have sold Usborne books the year I first began homeschooling.
I have filled out surveys in exchange for Border's bucks. You must be thinking, "she will do anything to support her book habit". Almost.
I have sold clothes to a consignment store, my aunt would supply the clothes, I would wash and press them.
I have sold things on eBay.
I have sold books on Amazon, Half.com, and used homeschool curriculum sites.
I have held a few yard sales.
I have sold cookies in a jar.

My teenagers have done the following things to earn money:

One is currently working as a busboy and a dishwasher, see paycheck above!
Sell handmade sports pillows.
Assist a quadriplegic man at scrabble and bridge tournaments
Sell newspapers.
Work as an electrical apprentice.
Mow lawns.
Sold donuts.

There is an interesting article from Bob at Christian Personal Finance on making extra money at home. I have tried a few of his ideas, in fact, I think I have been involved in about 7 of them. Stop by this website, it has oodles of great articles to encourage a thrifty lifestyle. On Fridays, they have a special feature, free stuff Fridays.

If this is something that interests you, stop by Rodney's site and find your new calling.

How about you? Do you have creative ways to earn money? I'd love to hear about it.

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Wordless Wednesday: Random's New Hobby

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:30:00 +0000

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Thrifty Thursday: Why I never lose my phone.

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:47:00 +0000

I used to drive the Gman crazy. I would leave my phone at home or forget to turn it on at all. My theory was that if I needed to make a call, I'd turn it on.

Since the iPhone arrived in my life, the story is different. Do I really need my phone in the rest room? Yep. I can sneak a quick Words with Friends in, of course after washing my hands. While eating lunch, I reply to a few emails. It's my only camera that doesn't run out of batteries at each Kodak moment. Always having my Bible with search capabilities, gives me Christian super powers.

Just how was I surviving before this phone?

The cool thing about my iPhone is the free apps. Here's ten that I love, there are others:

Fooducate

The Touch Bible. What I like best is the scroll wheel that can change the versions. I'm loving the New English Translation with numerous notes that enrich my study. I now have it for my iPad also, I call it my large print Bible.
Fooducate. Enter in the name of a product and you have information at your finger tips. Is this high in sugar, fat or preservatives? For lazy folks like me, scan the label and read the results. I just discovered that Trader Joe's Frosted Mini Wheats has a grade of B for better than average. The high sugar is what prevents it from receiving an A. I really could do a whole post on this cool app.
Stitcher Radio. Each night the Gman and I listen to a little Dave Ramsey. I get an hour a day for free. In the spirit of saving money, I can't possible purchase a paid subscription to a show about money. That would defeat the purpose. Stitcher has endless radio stations for any music or talk radio lover..
Words with Friends. I love phone scrabble. This word game is at my finger tips any time I have a spare minute. Doctors offices, boring work meetings, being on hold with tech support or riding to church. I justify this by telling myself I am firing up my neurons and preventing early Alzheimers. The Gman thinks I am ignoring him. I'm keeping the brain sharp. He'll thank me when we are older.
My online banking. I have no excuses for not knowing at any second what my balance is. Seeiing if a check has cleared does not need a phone call. Love it.
Shop Savvy. This is a code scanner. I can scan any product barcode or qr code to find out what a product costs and where to purchase it at the cheapest price. It also directs me to websites as a qr code reader.
Free Flashlight. This tool has made me look great on many occasions. I choose the pink one, because I'm a girly girl, sometimes.
Trulia. In my opinion, the best real estate app. When walking neighborhoods, I love to see the details of homes for sale. This is much easier to use than Zillow or smarter agent.
Scramble. For Boggle lovers, this is the app. I have decided that this app works better on a phone instead of the iPad. This game of 3 two-minute rounds of Boggle, is my favorite this week.
Find iPhone. I've never needed it since having this great phone. But if I revert back to my old ways, the Gman will be glad I have it.

Don't hold back, tell me what your favorite iPhone app is. Even if it's not free.

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The Woodcarver: Winner Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Congratulations to Paloma who tweeted about this movie! Look for more giveaways in the future.

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Progeny Press Study Guide: The Screwtape Letters

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:03:00 +0000

What is it?

Progeny Press has over 100 study guides for literature, covering kindergarten through high school. Progeny Press study guides concentrate on critical thinking, comprehension, literary analysis, and Christian application. We chose The Screwtape Letters for our study guide. Each in depth guide can be counted for 1/4 of a credit of high school English. You can see a sample of the guide here.

How We Used It?

I downloaded a copy for each of the boys. The guides come in three formats; an old fashioned bound book, a cd of the pdf file and an email attachment of the book with an interactive format. We received the interactive pdf file. This meant that the boys could easily type in their answers on the computer. We then reviewed the study questions and vocabulary together orally.

What I loved about it?

First of all, I absolutely love the book the Screwtape Letters. In my opinion, this is required reading for all Christians. I actually think this study guide would make terrific material for a book group. The questions are meaty and dig so much deeper into the author, the setting and the spiritual truths. The subtle humor of Lewis can at times go over the head of the students, yet the study guide was faithful to probe and let me see if my students really understood what they read. Throughout the study, the students look up scripture and see the parallels between the book and the Word. They are challenged to see what the Word has to say about eternal security, prayer, pacifism, hypocrisy, humility and worldliness.

Each chapter covers vocabulary words, but in different methods. The author has artfully mixed up the ways to learn the new words. There are multiple choice, word search, dictionary definitions verse your own, word boxes and using the words in a sentence. There is no bluffing your way through these answers.

This Progeny press guide is best for upper level high school students. The will be challenged immensely academically. But more importantly, they will grow spiritually.

Don't take my word for it, see what our crew members have to say about this and other Progeny Press guides here. You can see sample of other High School guides offered at Progeny Press.

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Teaching our Teens, a review: The Art of Argument by Classical Academic Press

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:08:00 +0000

As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the products with my boys and share my honest opinions with you. Paperboy was the fortunate participant this time.

Paperboy laughed when he learned his next course would be "The Art of Argument." He felt he already possessed great skill in that area. He was confident this subject would be a breeze. I was looking forward to gaining new communication skills and perhaps reaping the rewards of the great lessons learned.

Classical Academic Press describes this program as:

Junior high aged students will argue (and sometimes quarrel), but they won't argue well without good training. The Art of Argument was designed to teach the argumentative adolescent how to reason with clarity, relevance and purpose at a time when he has a penchant for the "why" and "how". It is designed to equip and sharpen young minds as they live, play, and grow in this highly commercial culture. This course teaches students to recognize and identify twenty-eight informal fallacies, and the eye-catching text includes over sixty slick and clever, “phony advertisements” for items from blue jeans to pick-up trucks, which apply the fallacies to a myriad of real life situations.

Don't let the publisher's description of 7th grade and up fool you. For students who have had no training in informal logic, this is a great place to start. Paperboy confessed to me in the car that he reads it slowly as it is challenging to digest. He felt it has already helped him to see how foolish some of his arguments have been. Many times he has fallen for propaganda from a talk show host and not clearly understood the issues.

When you purchase the Art of Argument Basic Bundle for $88.95 what do you receive?

The kit comes with a teachers manual, the student text book and a set of Dvd's with over 5 hours of instruction.

The Dvd lessons are taught by two teachers as they discuss the terms with four students. The lessons are 15 to 30 minutes long. The student's input and discussion of lessons are a great substitute for a co-op class. The video is professionally produced, yet it is obvious they didn't edit it too much. The replies of the students ranged from simplistic to well thought out responses.
The 230 page student workbook is divided into three units which contain 6 chapters and cover 28 fallacies. Covering two fallacies per week worked for our family. The workbook includes open ended questions, highlighted vocabulary and continual dialogue with Socrates. The book uses fictitious ads to represent each fallacy. This visual is an extremely effective method. It also incorporates some humor into the lessons.
The new and expanded teacher's guide includes the student text with answers, chapter and unit tests. Honestly, I have never been taught informal or formal logic, so I can't imagine not having the teacher's guide.

Classical Academic Press has a catchy slogan: Classical Subjects Creatively Taught. I agree, the thought of teaching logic and studying Socrates with my son, wasn't something I was looking forward to. The Art of Argument has definitely changed my mind. Classical Academic Press has a web site for students to practice their work. They offer free wallpaper background for students to remind them of the fallacies. There are more books in this series to carry your children through formal logic. You can pick up your own copy of The Art of Argument here. And lastly, don't just accept my persuasive argument for it, see what other members of the crew thought about it here.

Thanks for stopping by,

The Woodcarver: A Family Movie Review and Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:30:00 +0000

One great thing about being a blogger is the opportunity to try new products and share them with my readers. Little Guy and I just finished a neat curriculum (Who Am I?) which featured a master woodcarver. How fitting it was to have a chance to see a new movie called The Woodcarver. He was excited just reading the cover.

About the Movie:

Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.

I loved everything about this movie. The message, the choice of characters, the conflicts, and the suspense level captivated me during the entire movie. I enjoyed Little Guy's commentary on the parallels between the movie and the story we read. He decided the dad in this movie was worse than the father our Bible study. Although it is rated P.G., there wasn't anything in it that Little Guy could not handle. This is a terrific family film that has a great ending.

How can you win a copy of The Woodcarver for yourself?

Tweet this post.

Visit Christian Cinema and tell me about a movie from their site that you have enjoyed.

Like Christian Cinema on Facebook.

Subscribe to my blog.

Follow me on this blog or twitter @accidentallyhs, I promise not to overtweet you!

For each entry that you do, leave a separate comment. You can enter up to 6 times. This giveaway will end next Thursday, March 15th. If you can't wait to see it, it is available now at Christian Cinema for only $10.92.

Thanks for stopping by,

On a side note...
And now to satisfy the ever increasing need of the government to control our free speech:
"Disclosure of material Connection: I recieved the movie listed above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and beli8eve would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in advertising."

Achievement Testing for Homeschooling? Ten things

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:39:00 +0000

I've decided to join the blog cruise! This week's topic is near and dear to my heart because I'm under pressure this week. I have until tomorrow to sign up for our annual standardized testing. We do this every year, as it is my choice of evaluation to turn into our local school district. It usually works well for my family, only this year it falls on a very busy week. Our annual Bible conference, where we will be out each night, friends will be in town and we will host a family in our home. Part of me wants to skip it and use Seton Home testing services. But I won't. I'll stay with the plan and hope for the best. I have many reasons for staying the course.

Each year during the spring school break, our homeschool group offers testing through Bob Jones University. They administer the Stanford Achievement Tests to the students in a classroom setting. My friend, the blogless Lori, organizes the whole event. The tests are timed and the atmosphere is controlled.
After about 6 weeks, we are mailed the results. Their scores are compared to public and private schooled children all over the United States.
I use it as a tool to compare progress from year to year. This will be our sixth year testing. Because we always use the same company and testing format, the results are more consistent. Once in a while there will be dramatic increases or decreases in the results, but for the most part they are consistent.
I have mixed emotions about the testing. I believe life's stresses are a more important character test. How do they fare in adversity, when things don't go their way or when they are pressed to work hard? Those tests have much more priority to me.
I consider it part of my report card. If they do well in some areas, I pat myself on the back and say well done. If they score poorly in an area, ~~after a 30 second mental breakdown,~~ I re-evaluate my plans and curriculum to see what needs changing. Do they need extra help in an area? Are their gaps in their math education? With classical education and using Math-U-See, I used to worry if they knew enough American history and math. There was no need to.
This is an easy way to avoid creating an educational portfolio for our local school administrator. I used to agonize over work samples and stress out wondering if I was providing too little or too much.
I don't ask them do practice tests in the weeks prior. I used to because I did not want them to mis-align the bubbles on the answer sheet. If it happens in 9th or 10th grade, that's on them. They will practice SAT and Code tests, as the stakes are higher on those.
I enjoy the results as they are very specific about which skill was mastered or not. I can actually teach to the past test results. This is one of the reasons I still use Daily Grams for Paperboy, some skills need to be used daily. If not, they fall into the abyss of the brain that stores the 8 parts of speech.
I feel this prepares them for the many upcoming tests they will have. In the near future there will be the driver's test, the ASVAB test, the SAT test and the Electrical code and theory test. This is more practice in the art of testing.
I do not panic if the scores aren't what they hoped for. Some children are just better at test taking than others. Out of my four boys, they are all very different in the testing setting, just like in real life.

Other members of the crew discussed homeschooling and testing. Stop by here and see what they have to say about it.

I'm curious, do you test your students each year? How do you approach it? Do you prep them for the tests? Do you agonize over the results? Leave me a comment, make my day.

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Wordless Wednesday...My new husband!

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Before

After

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Apologia: Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here? A Review.

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:10:00 +0000

Apologia: Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?

The second book in the What We Believe series, Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) helps children understand what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Most High God.

How did we use it?

Apologia generously sent us the Student Book, audio mp3, coloring book and a beautiful companion journal. Since Little Guy and I are reading the book together, we're using it as a bible study each night in place of a bedtime story. I pop the mp3 cd in my laptop and he turns the pages. Some nights he colors or draws a picture related to the lesson while listening. Little Guy does not journal his answers, perhaps when he is a little older, but he answers the questions orally. We are currently in chapter 7. We're not following one of the great schedules provided, but going longer or shorter depending on our evening's time crunch.

What did Little Guy think about it?

I know it's a hit because he literally runs up to bed looking forward to the lessons. He has never been one that loves read alouds or story time like my other guys. The content in this book is what grabs him. He is learning about different children all over the world. He is amazed at the diversity. The author creatively ties in the other belief systems and cultures while comparing them to the word of God. Although the questions at the end of each lesson are deep, Little Guy, at 7, can easily grasp them. He really enjoys the variety of examples used in each lesson.

What do I think about it?

This is meat, heavy spiritual food organized and cut up in small bites that are incredibly convicting. I did not come across any doctrines I disagreed with. The principles taught are things we should and could be teaching our children throughout their growing up years. Apologia has skillfully created a curriculum that helps parents to mind the gaps. The discussions that flow after the readings are so beneficial to our children's faith. I feel like I have grown spiritually while using this study.

The Gman has enjoyed this curriculum also. We listened to the mp3 together (I did not tire of hearing it multiple times) and he enjoyed the content, the scripture and the variety in each lesson. Now I want to buy the mp3 at $19 to their previous book Who Is God? that Random reviewed last year. I am looking forward to sharing it with the Gman and Little Guy. Using the mp3 has been a treat on my voice as I often tire in the evenings when reading out loud.

I love the journal, it makes a wonderful keepsake for your children to look back on. They have mini book activities in the back of the book which appeal to those who enjoy lapbooking. I think it is worth the $24, you will want one for each child. The coloring book at $8 is perfect for little ones who are not ready for the journal.

The main text at $39 is a large hardback that reminds me of a coffee table book. Apologia Ministries web site offers extras for the those who own the book and want to enhance the lessons. They have a comprehensive teacher's guide available for free online which includes some of the activities from the journal to print on your own. These cannot compare to the quality spiral bound journal, but would work wonderfully in a co-op or large family.

I am thankful for this opportunity to try this resource. But don't take my word for it, see what other Crew member thought about this great curriculum here.

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Thrifty Thursday: Solving the Biology Problem

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:41:00 +0000

Paperboy has finished his Biology 101 course, in about 8 weeks. Before you gasp in wonder at how amazing he is, catch your breath. The truth is the course was way.... too....easy. I should have known when Little Guy, who is only in second grade, was enraptured by the movies. I'm all for enjoying the process of learning, but now we have a problem. He still needs a biology credit. I understand he won't need 4 years of AP science for his career as an electrician, but I must insist on two high school level sciences, one with a lab. So in the middle of his 10th grade year we are restarting Biology.

I was about to go online and order another program. The one I looked at may not be a right for him, so before I drop another penny on high school curriculum when I already own Apologia Biology, I decided to Google it.

I am amazed at the courses available online. For free. So many colleges are offering their courses on the web. Anyone can access these courses. They are not taught from a Christian perspective, but I am confident in Paperboy's ability to spit out the bones.

I discovered most of these at the Homeschool Diner. In 2007, Julie Shephard Knapp compiled an excellent list including some free resources. Five years later, there are many other free sites. Kahn Academy is one incredible site that has taken off in the last few years.For the self-motivated student there is the Online Biology Book from Michael J. Farabee, Ph.D of Estrella Mountain Community College. NROC has a great selection, while Hippo Campus has 3 Biology courses to choose from.

I have settled on this online Biology from Open Access. Here's the course description:

The Biology course is a first-year course in biology at the high school level. The course emphasizes a multi-representational approach to algebra, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed graphically, analytically, and verbally. The course uses four themes to organize important concepts throughout the course: science, technology, and society; evolution; the relationship between structure and function; and science as a process.

The Biology course involves the scientific study of living organisms. The course considers the interactions among the vast number of organisms that inhabit planet Earth. It presents the basic form and function of these organisms, from cells to organ systems, from simple viruses to complex humans. It delves into interactions between organisms, and between an organism and its environment. It also looks into how biotechnology is used to improve our health and daily living.

Hopefully, this will not be the adage, you get what you pay for. In a few weeks, I'll let you know what I really think!
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Thrifty Thursday: The Birthday Edition

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Last week, I celebrated my Birth Week.

This is what the birth week means: I kick back! Meals aren't fancy, I socialize with my buds, I slack on my housework and I celebrate. I pull out my birth week card when the kids start bickering. My birth week commands peace in the home. We wouldn't want to spoil the moments with petty bickering, would we children?

My birth week is the occasion for everyone to be exceptionally kind to me. I skipped my work meeting, without any guilt. My manager was gracious, in fact, because I warned her, she wished me a happy birth month.

One of the benefits of birth weeks are the freebies. My favorite restaurant, which the Gman does not appreciate, is Not Your Average Joes. I love the funky food. They mix sweet and spicy together in so many cool combinations. My mouth is watering thinking of their buffalo mango pizza. Or their calypso shrimp. Or the bread with dipping oil. Or anything on their menu.

They celebrate my birth week also. I signed up for their emails and they sent me a coupon good for any entree and dessert. How sweet is that?

Of course, I went all out and ordered the grilled scallops over cous cous. YUM! Dessert was a sinful chocolate bomb thing. Not only was my delicious dinner free, I was with two very special friends. It was a great way to kick off my Birth Week.

Is your birthday coming up sometime in the next year? Celebrate your day tightwad style. So many companies want to bless you and give you a birth week you won't soon forget. Stop by Frugal Living and choose your birthday blessings.

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Marriage Monday....Do you remember?

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:46:00 +0000

When she described the proposal, she was glowing. He led her to the back porch. Awkwardly, he pretended that wildlife had appeared and his eagle eyes were the only ones to see it. When he tried to point it out to her, she turned around to this.

He had perfectly orchestrated the moment. Music, lights and real fireworks. Thankfully she said "yes". For the rest of their lives, they will never forget the Christmas Eve of 2011.

This couple will be married next summer and they have a few years before they have to worry about the newness wearing off.

I wanted to include the challenge from Marriage Monday and encourage you to visit the blogs of other contributors. The hostess, Chrysalis, emails an invite to participants a few days before Monday. This week's topic has been brewing for a few weeks. In fact since Christmas. Below is a portion of her invitation.

Life certainly has its ups and downs—it has busy, exciting times and slow, dull, normal times. Marriage is the same way. Remember when we were young and full of love? It seemed that we never ran out of new things to discover with (and about) each other.

After a few years of "wedded bliss" however, sometimes a depressing sameness can settle in. Unfortunately, keeping family life running smoothly (and paying for it all) takes so much energy that many couples have nothing left over for their friendship. During those stress-filled seasons, boredom and apathy can easily infect a marriage. Have you been there? Are you there now? What are you doing to inject fresh vitality into your relationship?

Please share your wisdom with us next week. Plan to gather at Chrysalis once again for Marriage Monday on Feb. 6, 2012.

As always, I welcome linkers in all ages and stages of married life: old, young, seasoned and newlywed. This time, I would especially love to read your insights if you've been married for over ten years. Please join us!

My thoughts on avoiding complacency and the marriage doldrums. One word:

Remember!

Remember the things that first attracted you to your husband. Was it his strong faith? His great looks? His kind actions? His bold witnessing? His sports ability? The way his treated his family? His great sense of humor? Whatever is was that first caught your eye and kept it, think on these things. Don't fall into the pattern of dwelling on his faults, shortcomings or things he lacks. Avoid fiction or film that glamorizes or fictionalizes other men. This will poison your attitude and demotivate you in making your own effort to improve your marriage.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

To follow my own advice, I just take a look at my sweet hubby in this photo and my heart still goes pitter-patter. It's not just the hunk in the uniform, it's the memories we had that day.

Remember the vows you made. When we were married about 10 years, we had some tough times. I made this plaque using my computer, stationary and a simple frame. I know the Gman appreciates it. Currently, he displays it right by his bedside. It's important to remember why we say those words. Hard times will come. Finances, sickness and family conflicts and a host of other hardships. This vow acknowledges yes, they are going to happen and declares that I will be there for them, resisting the fight or flight urge that tempts everyone.

Remember God. Whether you married in the faith or came to know God after your marriage, God will help. If you feel like things are dull and want to break out of that rut, pray about it. Ask God to help you appreciate your spouse, pray for him, and believe that things can change.

Remember, you will not always have a home full of kids, bills and stress. Perhaps you need inspiration for a date night, or just the commitment to having a date night. God willing, you will be growing old together and the best is yet to come.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wordless Wednesday...The Birthday Cake Edition

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:34:00 +0000

The Post In Which I get Political

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:38:00 +0000

I have been watching the Republican primaries closely. I don't usually blog about politics, frankly, they bore me and the last thing I would ever want to do is bore anyone who reads my blog.

There is something that really is bothering me.

Am I the only one who is bothered by the sudden increase in Newt Gingrich's popularity? His winning South Carolina shows me that so many are willing to overlook the personal morality of our leaders. Have the religious right lost their hope? Have we really decided that personal morality doesn't affect their decision making? Herman Cain's endorsement of him only sickens me more. Of course, what can I expect? Birds of a feather flock together.

I consider my vote a privilege. I'm so tired of holding my nose and voting for the lesser evil. I will not hand it over to an unrighteous/unrepentant pervert. Yes, I said it. PERVERT. Last time I checked the the seventh commandment was still in the Bible. Newt has a pattern of breaking covenants. Especially during the times of sickness. The times when the rubber meets the road in your commitments.

Let's say the shoe was on the other foot and Newt was battling cancer or some other illness. Would his wives stay with him? I don't know. After watching the beauty of my dad, my friends and countless others taking their vows serious, I can't help feeling disgusted every time I hear Newt's voice. His skilled political sound bites are like tinkling brass, knowing his actions.

Now before you start thinking Terri G. is so self-righteous, and how can she judge him? Let's make believe he became president.

Let's look at Callista. Is this the first lady you want your daughters to emulate? She's the woman who carried on with a married man for years. She knew he was married. She didn't care. He was bound for a great political future and she was planning to be a part of it. At any cost.

If she traveled in my social circles, I'd be sure to stay by my husband's side when she was around. I mean really, she may secretly dream of being married to a hunky electrician after a few months of stalking by the press. Or if Gingrich fails in his bid for president, she may not have as much motivation to stick around.

I'm not talking about being paranoid, I'm talking about being wise. Proverbs 7 warns us about the type of people Callista and Newt are. Their end is not pretty.

They certainly aren't the people I want in power. Regardless of what may be going on in this country, we still live in the best country in the world. I'm hoping we are blessed with a great leader.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wordless Wednesday: Homeschool Gym Outside the Box

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:06:00 +0000

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Marriage Monday: An Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Today's post is linked up to Chrysalis Cafe and Marriage Monday. Of course, I didn't follow directions and had written a totally different blog post. Thankfully, I have more time to clean it up. You'll have to come back in two weeks for that one. Today, we are just introducing ourselves to each other and our readers. If you want to read some my thoughts on marriage, you can click here.

Since we are on the topic of marriage, if you haven't read Ann Voskamp's post The 4 Minute Marriage Habit, please do. It will bless you much more than my post. Anyways, here's my introduction:

I am…..a Christian, a wife, a mother, a blogger and a friend.
I want…..my whole family to know salvation.
I have…..one husband, four boys, and three brothers.
I wish…..for more girls in my family.
I hate…..noise.
I miss…..my skinny self.
I fear…..God.
I feel…..hungry most the time.
I hear…..too many appliances right now.
I smell…..everything, it's a curse.
I crave…..quiet.
I search…..for lost things too often.
I wonder…..when things will change.
I regret…..not taking more pictures and videos of my kids.
I love…..my husband.
I ache…..when I sleep too long.
I care…..about new Christians.
I always…..procrastinate.
I am not…..organized right now.
I believe…..God can heal marriages.
I dance…..rarely.
I sing…..in church.
I cry…..when I read books.
I don’t always…..read directions.
I fight…..exercise.
I write…..instead of doing housework.
I never….finish everything I plan in a day.
I listen…..to audio books when I deep clean.
I need…..about 30 hours in a day.
I am happy…..most of the time.

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Z-Guides to the Movies~ The Green Berets, A Review

noreply@blogger.com (TerriG) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:36:00 +0000

As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the product and share my honest opinions with you. In today's review, our whole family, minus the Little Guy used this product together.

What is a Z-Guide?

Z-Guides are a great way to enhance your history, geography and/or English lessons using activities centered around a motion picture. The product I received is in a download format, giving me the freedom to print the pages we need for our study. The guide includes a synopsis, historical background, review questions, and numerous activities pertaining to the movie. You can read more about Z-Guides here. You can see my past review of the Z-Guide, The Count of Monte Cristo here or see a sample of the Z-Guide here.

Z-Guides to the Movies ~ The Green Berets, A Review

Paperboy chose The Green Berets starring John Wayne for our next Z-Guide. A quick word of caution; let the kids choose together. Random and I were not crazy about this movie. A war movie would not have been our choice. My difficulties in following the movie were relieved by the synopsis in the guide, it cleared many things up for me.

Because I am an honest blogger, I have to say this was one of my toughest reviews to do. Not because I did not like the product, I love them, I own five Z-Guides. It is because the movie associated with this guide bothered me. The similarities between Vietnam and today's Iraq situation are too close. My heart was broken thinking of all of the deaths and the end results of each conflict. But since this isn't my political blog, I'll get back to the Z-Guide.

Things I loved about the guide:

The Movie Synopsis was very thorough. I missed many of the key points of the movie. The author does a fantastic job in the description.
The 25 Review Questions are open ended, requiring detailed answers. A few of them stumped me, but thankfully they provided an answer key.
The Compare and Contrast exercise was challenging and thought provoking.
The Worldview Activity is an import activity to keep the dialogue going with your children about moral choices.

Things we could have lived without:

The Crossword Puzzle, asking the same questions orally worked for our family. Crosswords are loved or hated, it reminds me of busywork.

Zeezok publishing has created an incredible product for those who want to spice up their history lessons. The guide gives parents the tools they need to create an interesting week long discussion of a historical event using a movie. Because the ugliness of the war, mature scenes and intense propaganda of the movie was difficult for me, the grown-up, to follow, I recommend The Green Berets and it's Z-Guide for older high school students who are studying the Vietnam War.

You can purchase this guide and many other Z-guides at Zeezok. They come in an e-book format or a CD version for $12.95. Many of my other Crew members reviewed other study guides. See their reviews here.

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